I've only got a couple of things to say - (3 actually - the most important one is a ;tldr warning)

First about Garcia's pedal steel playing - I really enjoyed it. He seemed to pick things up pretty quickly. Not at all surprising given his level of enthusiasm and focus and hours and hours playing all sorts of music with anyone and everyone. He was definitely not even close to being among the best and he would be the first tell that to anyone who would suggest it. He's probably responsible more that anyone else for me getting into pedal steel players. As always - go to his sources of inspiration and listen to what he listened to. Listening to good stuff and trying to learn it and coming anywhere close to replicating it is an absolute blast. To my mind he was one of the most unassuming and unintentional evangelists for the instrument and the music as anyone is or ever was for anything. He was then and remains a teacher of tremendous influence for many - definitely me.

Second (and the real reason I felt compelled to post something) - the quality of this recording as the source for songs that ended up on the Skull & Roses album. I'm on a "Bertha" kick today, and I thought I'd look for the source for it in it's unedited form. I'm listening to the Skull and Roses version now after listening to this version, and next I'm going back to this version again. To paraphrase the old Roadhog (Lester and the boys) "It don't git no better'n this.."

Okay - edit #1. The Skull & Roses version is "purty dang good". It was a real "out of body" experience for me when the album first came out and when I first heard them do it live. But here I am back listening to this version again. The Skull and Roses version is pretty special. It's almost - ALMOST - as good as this one.

Edit - 01022023 -

Listening to this from the start. What I hear in just the first few bars of Lodi (NRPS - I tend to overlook those magical "NRPS/acoustic/full-blown Grateful Dead experience" shows) - is MUSIC! Garcia's pedal steel on that is good music. That whole aggregation just makes wonderful music. I can get caught up in one part - Nelson's rhythm parts, fills, etc. for instance. Following any one particular instrument through an entire song is a treat, but its contribution to the whole is what makes the music. Garcia is caught up in the music, doing his part to make the best music. I'd bet he's not thinking of that though - he's not thinking at all. He's just making music. Lost in the magic. What better place to be?

I'm reading a lot of these peoples comments and reviews about this performance and seeing that this is not getting very over with most people, but let me make one thing very clear: I LOVED THIS.

level with me here: i've never seen the Dead live. I got into the Grateful Dead summer 2020 after going down the rabbit hole that is the 1960s. I think context is super important, so when i see people here saying stuff like, "yeah. the beach boys here was a head scratcher" NOT REALLY, ACTUALLY.

Beach bums did LSD, beach song bands sang about LSD, and it's not like the Beach Boys weren't all up in all of all of that business hahahaha so, TO ME, listening to this tape for the first time, i was thinking to myself, "wow, these Manhatten shows in April 71 are pretty good. you can tell from night one that there's something going on here" THEN THE BEACH BOYS SHOW UP. ofcourse they would. it's like 2 worlds colliding. it's a beautiful thing. ofcourse they played Good Vibrations. They have to. it's their LSD song. are you kidding me?

Beautiful moment. I popped. i got up, stood up, walked around, threw my arms up. it's 2022. i love this band.

Man, I'll tell you what, this show is hot from start to finish. I LOVE the 26th. If you don't agree that's cool it's your opinion. Listen to The Beach Boys if you want...but Like, it's the Dead. in 1971. What more do you want?
After all, I prefer the shows at Fillmore West, it's home turf. This run is straight magic. I agree about the Hard 2 Handle from this night, but the 26th....man were they on!!!!!

Jerry was arguably one of the best country pedal steel guitar players ever. "The Wait" is improved by it.. etc.

We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee;
We don't take no trips on lsd
We don't burn no draft cards down on Main Street;
We like livin' right, and bein' free.
I'm proud to be an Okie from Muskogee,
A place where even squares can have a ball
We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse,
And white lightnin's still the biggest thrill of all
We don't make a party out of lovin';
We like holdin' hands and pitchin' woo;
We don't let our hair grow long and shaggy,
Like the hippies out in San Francisco do.
And I'm proud to be an Okie from Muskogee,
A place where even squares can have a ball.
We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse,
And white lightnin's still the biggest thrill of all.
Leather boots are still in style for manly footwear;
Beads and Roman sandals won't be seen.
Football's still the roughest thing on campus,
And the kids here still respect the college dean.
We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse,
In Muskogee, Oklahoma, usa.

1st Set: LOSER is large and played to perfection. It might be the best one this spring but I might say that about all of them. HARD TO HANDLE is where we blast off! Pig’s singing is perfect. The jam gets a big set up. They keep it simple to start with but then they build it and build it and it pretty much goes off the rails in a really good way. Excellent. The CHINA / RIDER is crispy and clean and played to perfection. While I was listening to this one I was thinking about how the song had changed by ‘72. 71 is compact where 72 stretches out and ties each knot perfectly before untying it. A real ride.

2nd Set: Really strong SUGAR MAGNOLIA but it still isn’t where it’s going to be. DEAL is good but still a slow version and just good. BIRDSONG is where they start to take off dabbling in some intricate stuff here. PITB is tight and well played. DIRE WOLF is played while the Beach Boys set up. SEARCHIN is a mess except for Pig who “saves” it. RIOT is ok. They tell the audience to sing along with GOOD VIBRATIONS. Nobody does. I don’t think they understand this audience. The next two are cringe-worthy. The Dead come back for the sarcastic OKIE. The Dead start off JBG but the BB slow it down and they need to go. SMBH is one of my favorite versions, I’m starting to get it. They start up UJB which is always a crowd-pleaser, and play it well. We think it’s over but they launch into a 20-minute LOVELIGHT that has Pig trying to set up two audience members before everything gets kind of quiet and Pig is almost whispering about needing some love and he knows where she hides it. Great send-off.

Not a huge fan of the beach boys or anything ....even though I respect their talent but it is a hoot to hear them playing with the dead. I listen to all these shows and marvel at the access we have to this music we all love. Used to chase down a bootleg cassette like it was my final meal.

its got more Umf, more cylanders firin all at once
more outrageous energy in shorter time
more meltdown, critical mass.
the crowd goes wildnutz WITH the crowd !
when i dance my ass falls off! that how i know its "better"
yet this is a longer, verbally clearer version
but im NOT in english class !
i am @aDEAD SHOW!!!!!! again !!! HAAAAAAAAA
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

This IS the best Hard to Handle IMO as well. I was perfectly positioned in the first row of the first balcony for this show. Not sure why 4/29 and 8/6 get all the attention. They're like the 5/8/77's of HTH's! This also features "eye of the tiger" Jerry at his most self assured, just ripping your head off!

The rest of the show including the Beach Boys appearance was good but not outstanding. 5 Stars for the HTH, 3-1/2 for the rest of the show.

so what we can't even listen to the 2 track tape because they released an incomplete version from the multitrack masters. I totally don't get that!! Bobby!! Wtf man...

I would have to agree with some of the above comments. This to my ears is the best Hard to Handle. The vocals and the jam are better than the one from the Hollywood show in 8/71.

I know that everyone gets all nuts about that 8/71 Hard to Handle (rightly so), but the 4/27/71 is the best!

5 stars on that track.

the closing run of the fillmore east is up there with the month of decemeber and this show is a classic the beach boys and the dead haha i love the okie the playing was a little sloppier than the rest of the run but i dont know these are def solid performances 3.5 stars

Still 15 and seeing the Grateful Dead for the 2nd time (the first at Woodstock). What can I say wrong? My 2nd show, a classic Fillmore East performance with The Beach Boys joining the boys for several tunes in the 2nd set. A lot of fun and a solid performance. And I do remember the NRPS opening with Jerry on pedal steel. What great memories!

This show is a blast. The Beach Boys fired their manager 4 months before the show. Their new manager brought them to the Fillmore and told them "this is your audience" and pushed them onstage, Riely saved their asses. If Jack Riely never came along, the Beach Boys would still be "the Good Humour hallucination" pumping out oldies in those white suits in high school gyms. Riely told them "let heir hair down, get hip and write new material" and they made 2 great albums (Surf's Up and Holland) in the process. This show was the Beach Boys being baptised by fire. I love both bands but this is the most. The only downfall is that the tape runs out during "Help Me Rhonda" when Garcia is ripping. Can somebody patch this from a audience source. If it was complete, I would give it 5 stars. I have 4 (non-Dolby) 7" second gen 7.5 ips half-track reels of this show and they have the same breaks. I'm still waiting to hear the ending of "Rhonda".

This was my first Dead concert, what a trip, halfway through the concert Garcia announces "We'd like to bring on another great California rock band" and I remember thinking: The Airplane? Hot Tuna? When "The Beach Boys" are announced, the crowd boo's, no kidding, it seemed like a let down as the BB's we're so uncool at the time, like the Four Freshman or something. Anyway, as the BB's set was ending the word "Dylan" appeared projected on the backdrop and I definitely thought Bob himself was going to appear....I read in The Rolling Stone magazine that Dylan was backstage with his guitar and harmonica and about to walk onstage except that when he saw his name he got pissed and split....who knows.
Casey Jones goes on and on and I distinctly remember seeing Weir screaming his head off 'til he was blue in the face. Pigpen was his usual obstreperous self....I am of the opinion that Keith and Donna were the beginning of a long, slow, and at times glorious decline.

The first set has a number of pearls. Truckin' is on par with any opening version. Bertha is used on the Skull & Roses LP. The Hard To Handle is the best version I've ever heard. Weir sets the table with Garcia joining in with some nice chord work before embarking on a jam where Garcia and Lesh lead two passes through "the Theme" with two extraordinary climaxes before the tune is tightly closed by Pigpen and the band. Closing the set is Casey Jones which is full of energy and is played out so far that only when Weir begins to lose his voice does Garcia bring it to a close. A must have set for your collection and listening pleasure.

The second set begins well. While the Beach Boys add to the novelty of the show, my personal preference is for the band to play by itself. I believe Dennis Wilson is playing drums on Johnny B. Goode and Garcia has to slow down so he can keep up.

The discussion about the '71 Fillmore East Hard to Handles has gone on for years - this is the one I picked out decades ago. Someone who reviewed 4/29 below mentioned what he called "The Theme" and this one has it as well, but even better. After hinting at it for a few bars, at 6:00 minutes they pull it back to a tentative simmer with Lesh and Garcia delicately building tension, then launch into "The Theme" and take it to full bore, and at 6:35 the Theme starts to peak, but from around 7:12 to 7:30 the afterburners come on and it's a runaway freight train of the hottest 18 seconds of music the GD ever played. BAM!
LP

Adding to the uniqueness of the concert is the Moog synthesizer toted along by the Beach Boys. They use it as a slide whistle on "Searchin," then as a siren for "There's a Riot Going On," and then to cover the theramin part of "Good Vibrations."

Pig Pen's almost-in-tune voice is distracting, as ever. When he drops out after "Searchin," the Beach Boys shine on "Riot," "Good Vibrations," and "I Get Around" (it sounds as if the Dead take a break for those songs).

The Dead join the Beach Boys on "Help Me Rhonda," which takes on a loping "Truckin" feel. It's cut off halfway.

I don't know if Brian Wilson was there that night. It's likely that he wasn't.

In a run that saw so many highlights on each night( in true GD variety style)this show was the ultimate in that you had the current West Coast phenomena joining the previous revolution(Beach Boys). Searchin' and Okie are must hear versions of any rock/blues/country fan!